A. Field of the Invention
Embodiments herein relate to the field of charged particle storage and transportation. More particularly, embodiments relate to apparatus and method of storing and transporting charged particles, as well as preparing, filling, and transporting a bottle capable of storing and transporting charged particles utilizing electrostatic containment. More specifically, the present invention addresses the collection and storage of antiprotons; and the transport of antiprotons.
B. Background of the Invention
Antiprotons are annihilated upon contacting matter, and containers (e.g., Penning traps) include: “Container for Transporting Antiprotons,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,554 issued to Gerald A. Smith, et al. on Nov. 2, 1999; “Container for Transporting Antiprotons,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,263 issued to Gerald A. Smith, et al. on Dec. 12, 2000. See also Smith et al's. related U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,414,331 and 6,576,916, all of which are incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,554, for example, teaches containing with “means for providing the necessary magnetic fields”; “cryogen or cold wall”; and antiprotons are trapped in a potential well formed between the first and second electric fields (italics added herein.)